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[boogers]

Andy Murray advanced to the quarter finals of the Shanghai Masters with a 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 victory over Stanislas Wawrinka. Matches between the Murray and the Swiss number two are rarely pleasing on the eye and this was no exception.

Murray had yet to play a competitive match thanks to a first round bye and a walkover in the second round, so he could have been forgiven for feeling his way into the match. The Scot had other ideas and came out firing on all cylinders, breaking Wawrinka twice and racing into a 3-0 lead. Unfortunately the fourth game contained more than a trace of clownishness and a series of comedy errors saw the Swiss retrieve one of the breaks.

Murray's baseline game was now stuttering, especially on the backhand wing, but his first serve kept his opponent at bay. A calm service game at 5-4 sealed the set.

Murray has only once beaten Wawrinka in straight sets, back at the 2008 US Open, and that statistic didn't look under threat as the Scot became increasingly lackadaisical. A series of miscued groundstrokes in the eighth game gave Wawrinka the decisive break of the second set.

Murray matches are often prone to dramatic momentum switches, especially when the Scot is not playing at his best. The third set did not disappoint. After scraping through his initial service game, Murray capitalised on some loose play from Wawrinka to stagger into a 3-0 lead. The Swiss then called for a medical timeout to have treatment on his lower back. The interruption hindered more than it helped and Murray immediately broke for a second time. The Swiss was incensed and took his frustration out on his racquet - to the obvious amusement of Murray and the crowd.

There was still time for more drama at 5-1, when Murray was broken serving for the match. Wawrinka ratcheted up the pressure by holding his subsequent service game, but Murray was able to clinch the match at the second time of asking.

Brad Gilbert would be proud - this was Winning Ugly at it's finest.

Next up is the Gilles Simon or Matthew Ebden.

[michelle]

A win is a win, and he will now feel better, don't think he will have much trouble with Gilles or Matthew.

[lashurst]

Let's hope Ebden beats Simon. Murray should be able to thrash a has-been snooker player.

Thats a bit unfair on Andy. Nigel. But very funny all the same!

[lashurst]

Let's hope Ebden beats Simon. Murray should be able to thrash a has-been snooker player.

Man, you must be a psychic. Ebden wins, and Andy will be playing the has-been snooker player!

[Grabcopy]

Rafa's out...

[iamabritt]

There are always plenty of surprises,however we don't want one like this.
Must open up the field for eveyone now.

[Aileen]

Very fair report Phil.  As you say Murray/Wawrinka matches are never pleasant but I thought Andy did reasonably well in the circumstances - first match of tournament, change of surface and balls - and all that on top of the amount of tennis he's played over the last two weeks.  If he had to win ugly then so be it.

[deb]

Great Andy wins dont mind how, Nadal out so go Andy. Does anyone know how the guy Andy was playing yesterday had a bad wrist, then played doubles today!!  and does that mean when Andy wins he dosnt get the full 1000 points?